Family: 15-Year-Old Shot Dead On Way To Grocery Store In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The family of a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed in the doorway of his Brooklyn home Friday night says he was on his way to a nearby grocery store at the time of the deadly encounter.
Chopper 2 was over the scene as officers responded to the call just before 6 p.m. at an apartment building on Flatbush Avenue.
They found teenager Samuel Joseph with gunshot wounds to his head and torso. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to Samuel's family, the teen went to the store to buy food and when he came back the suspect pushed him inside and shot him.
Samuel was described by friends and family as friendly, funny, and athletic with no known enemies.
"Sam was a good kid. He'd go to school like any other kid… he's not a gang member, he's not into any type of situation that would cause this," family spokesman Don Joseph said.
Police sources say a family member called 911, and the 15-year-old may not have been the intended target.
Samuel's family originally hails from Haiti, and he was the youngest of five children. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams stopped by to offer his condolences and support with funeral services and fundraising.
"Any information that will help the police department put together the pieces to solve the puzzle, it can get this gun off the street we can get the person responsible of the street," Adams said.
Investigators released surveillance video they say shows two men between 18 and 25-years-old they're looking for in connection to the homicide, as well as the vehicle they're believed to have been traveling in.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by Tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
